today is makha bucha day; a festival celebrating the buddha, the dharma, and the monastic community. in thailand, the celebrations are notable for their candlelight processions, and while i don't think i have any music relating specifically to the holiday, i do have this tape about candlelight processions! i really haven't been able to find out much about it, though, other than that the songs all see to be variations on the big hit "chut thian wian won" by mani maniwan & udon green (which i suspect comes from an older folk melody, but to be honest i have no idea). ultimately, all you need to know is that this beaten-up old tape features mae khwanchit, sister khwanchai and their frequent male collaborator suchin.. evergreen artists of suphanburi! enjoy!

back up to isan this week for some outstanding, danceable folktales! our molam here are mr. sunthon chairungrueang of chaiyaphum province and ms. chumthong siangsane from khon kaen. the word prayuk ("practical" or "applied") in the title of this album refers to practitioners of a folk genre who've elected to experiment with incorporating influences from popular culture. mr. sunthon here saw some success in (i'm guessing) the late 70's introducing the international dance craze known as "the bump" into traditional lam klon music. i imagine this cassette was recorded a few years subsequently; the pop influences, while discernible, are played down a bit in favor of the traditional. wonderful phin & khaen performances and relaxed grooves linger in the background while two expert singers slowly unravel classic buddhist folktales. to my ears, this is just some of the most genial, mood-elevating music there could be... enjoy!

enchanting songs of thailand

a collection of great music made by the people of thailand; luk thung, luk krung, molam, regional folk styles & more. mostly recorded from tape, sound quality should be pretty good (unless stated otherwise). transliteration is done using the royal thai general system of transcription. feedback/re-upload requests/etc. always appreciated!